Dealing with global warming is kind of like going to the dentist with a toothache.
A really bad dentist will deny it and tell you to keep eating sugar - because he may have heavy investments in Coca-Cola.
Or slightly better is to tell you to watch your diet and brush and floss - and take a painkiller. But until your dentist really fixes the tooth. - it will just get worse. And so worse as to need root canal, implants, false teeth, etc.
That seems to be the leadership style today on global warming today. They present lots of information, but nothing is getting actuallyfixed. . So all this dental denial means the patient will eventually lose all their teeth - because the dentist is not delivering the facts or any bad news, and is not doing any work. Nor offer dental insurance.
We know what a great dentist will advise - tell us what is needed, what it will cost, remove the problem, change the structure and train the patient.
Not many people really want to go to the dentist. The best we can ask for is some good painkillers.
OK the denial is melting away. You may not want to read a superb exchange of letters between George Monbiot and Paul Kingsnorth posted in the Guardian August 18, 2009.
It is a bit unpleasant to ponder “Should We Seek to Save Industrial Civilisation?” Should we go to the dentist with a toothache?
You talk a lot of sense (as I thought that you would, judging from your comments elsewhere).
I did like your reworking of the Boy who cried Wolf - excellent. :)
I'll certainly visit again.
S2
P.S. - just curious - are you related to Wolfgang in any way? (I bet you're really tired of that question).
Thanks. No DNA related, but I am honored to spell my name the same.